A forty-nine
year old man fell about forty feet while sport
rock climbing at Tahquitz Rock on October 5,1985.
Morris Valkoss lost his grip and fell while lead
climbing the Piton Pooper route with his friend
Jim. He was near the top of the route when he
fell. He was twenty feet ahead of his protection,
which did hold.

Morris Valkoss
suffered abrasions to the right lower leg,
possible broken ribs and possible fractures to
the left ankle. The accident occurred at about
1:30 p.m. Other technical rock climbers hiked out
from Tahquitz Rock and summoned help by
contacting the Riverside County Sheriff's Office.

At about 5:30
p.m. the Riverside Mountain Rescue Unit (RMRU)
was called to rescue Morris. Morris' friend Jim
remained on the rock with Morris. The RMRU had
just completed an extensive day of training in
the Mt. San Jacinto range, including a hike to
the peak. They had just set up camp at Marion
Flats when the call-out came over the radio (See
Article on Training 10-5-85).

To expedite movement of RMRU/SAR
personnel to Tahquitz Rock, and the rescue of
Morris Valkoss a helicopter was released from
Landells Aviation. With a moderate amount of
difficulty a communication station and a helispot
were developed at Marion Flats. As darkness and
rainstorms moved in from the west, pilot Steve
DeJesus managed to fly two trips from Marion
Flats to Tahquitz Rock placing four RMRU members
near the top of the Rock. This dangerous maneuver
was accomplished using one runner landings. Steve
made an additional flight in from Humber Park to
the Rock, in the dark, bringing Operations Leader
Walt Walker and a substantial amount of equipment
to the Rock. Steve DeJesus then flew back to
Landells Aviation hanger for special lighting
apparatus but was unable to return until morning
due to the weather conditions.

RMRU members
on the Rock with Walt were: Cameron Robbins, Bill
Blaschko, Glenn Henderson and Rob Gardner. In
addition to personal gear members brought with
them, Walt had flown in with two six hundred foot
ropes, two 150 foot ropes, litter rigging, edge
rollers, a sack of runners, a sack of carabiners,
lowering devices, and more. By morning every
piece of equipment was to have been used.

Cameron
Robbins made first verbal contact with Jim and
Morris at about 7:30 P.m. and Cameron was then
lowered about two hundred feet down the face of
Tahquitz Rock to Jim and Morris. Bill Blaschko,
M.D., followed by rappel. Jim and Morris were on
a small ledge (now joined by Cameron and Bill).
Bill completed the medical assessment, first aid,
and splinting of the left ankle.

Rob, Walt and Glenn climbed up
Tahquitz Rock, obtained a stokes litter that is
stored on the rock and took it to the site from
which Cameron and Bill descended. Much of the
gear was loaded into the litter and lowered, with
Glenn tending. Rob then rappelled, followed by
Walt.

Each person
had as much gear strapped on their back and
dangling between their legs as they could manage.
Walt, with the six-hundred foot rope on his back
and his pack hanging in front of him tied off to
his harness, looked like a moving Sporting Goods
Store. Everybody regrouped at the small ledge or
in cracks and crevices nearby.

Meanwhile,
Cameron had established a safety line which
everybody and everything was tied into. Anchors
were setup for the lowering operation. When the
system was ready Morris was secured into the
litter and lowered about three hundred feet into
the darkness of the night. The mission was
blessed with warm temperatures while threatened
with lightning in the distance and rain storms
moving towards the Rock.

Bill Blaschko
tended to the litter and the patient during the
lowering. He stopped on a substantial ledge. Jim,
the RMRU members and the equipment again were
moved down the Rock, on RMRU members backs as
they rappelled.

The operation
was halted in midnight with Morris being stable
and all persons being on a safe shelf. Walt and
Rob remained with Morris and Jim. The others
hiked out planning to return in the morning with
the litter wheel. A few hours of sleep was
gathered by all before daybreak arrived.

At first light
there was also first rain. Morris and the gear
were protected from the rain with tarps. The
others broke out their rain garments. The
helicopter was dispatched at about 6:30 a.m.
Steve DeJesus was pilot again. An attempt was
made to pick up the other RMRU members at Marion
Flats but a cloud hanging up on Marion Peak
prevented the pick up. Alternate plans were being
initiated when Kevin Walker suddenly was blaring
over the radio that the cloud had lifted for the
moment and "it's now or never" in
reference to a helicopter pick up. Steve flew to
Marion Flats and lifted the other team members
(Ray Hussey, Mel Krug, Kevin Walker, Steve
Bryant) out and over to Tahquitz Rock (two
flights). Sure enough the clouds dropped back
down on Marion Peak as the second group was flown
out. With all RMRU personnel on the Rock (and
Jack Bowman on the radio in base camp with John
Dew) a final lower was carried out in the rain.
The final lower was one hundred feet, complicated
by angles, boulders and wet lichen. Rob and Walt
tended the litter and Morris.

The next move
was to carry the litter to Lunch Rock, which was
achieved without comment and with good team work.
Steve DeJesus brought the helicopter in for
another one runner landing and held her steady
while Morris was loaded onto the helicopter to be
flown down to Camp Maranatha. Subsequently, Jim
and the RMRU men and equipment were flown to Camp
Maranatha. Morris went on for further medical
care. A major sorting of equipment took place,
the team had breakfast together, recovered their
personal vehicles which were at the Palm Springs
Aerial Tramway parking lot (70 miles away), and
this writer headed home to get some sleep.